


bubblegum toothpaste

by butchbugbear



Category: Smile For Me (Video Game)
Genre: (this is a lighthearted fic but these topics do come up ok!), Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety, Gen, Happy Ending, boris is younger theyre both in college hes still v silly tho, kamal and boris r both autistic bc i said so, kind of?!?!? kamal is in college hes ... interning, parental abuse tw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-06-25 16:58:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19749934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butchbugbear/pseuds/butchbugbear
Summary: In which Kamal learns that interning at a dental offers more emotional baggage to deal with than you would think.





	1. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A stressed out dentist-in-training begins his summer internship!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick warning theres a leetol scene at the very very beginning which involves blood, teeth falling out, gross stuff!! be careful bro!!

It started with a flash. He was sitting at a table, fingers intertwined on his lap, squeezing tight. He didn’t feel any of it. All he knew was that he was cold, and sweaty, and dreadfully unprepared. But there was no going back now.

“Having second thoughts?” The man seated in front of him was cutting his steak, glancing up at him out of the corner of his eye. There was no noise save for the sound of his voice. His utensils, the waiters, the restaurant, it was dead silent. He swallowed.

“What? Of course not. I’m, like, so ready for this.”

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Uh..” He glanced down. His meal was there now, exactly the same as the man’s. His hands moved horribly slow, grabbing the knife and fork. “I uh… I am! I was waiting for the food to get here, y’know? Um—”

The man was looking down at his plate now, eating a bite of steak. Ignoring him. He fidgeted in his chair, and started to cut the meat in front of him. It was sickeningly rare, almost raw. He hated red meat.

He put a piece in his mouth, started to chew, when.

There was a crunch. He gagged, spitting the piece of meat out back onto the plate, along with…

A tooth.

“OH. Oh my god, UH—” His tongue probed the now empty, bleeding spot in his gums. It tasted salty.

“You don’t like the food?” The man’s eyes were on him again. Irritation caused him to fidget more in his chair. Of _course_ he didn’t like the fucking food, he just lost a tooth! But all that came out of his mouth was,

“No, of course not! It’s... it’s great!” His hands were already cutting up another piece, putting the fork up to his mouth and chewing, and -

“Eugh..” Two more teeth came out now, both holes bleeding seemingly nonstop. Some of the blood was leaking out of his mouth onto his shirt. _Ah, I just ironed that…_

The man was annoyed now. So was he. Each bite he took was promptly spit back out, more teeth coming back with it. He was sweating bullets now, scared and embarrassed and sick to his stomach, but he kept trying over, and over, and over, and,

“Look, Kamal, if all you came here to do was waste my time I might as well leave right now.”

“ _NO,_ I.. I can do this, I swear! I just need more time, I–” He wasn’t eating anymore, but more and more teeth were gathering on his plate as he spoke.

_Kamal…_

The man stood up, pushed his chair in.

“I’m trying my best, boss, I really am! I just..!”

_“Kamal!”_

* * *

A pillow thumped onto his face, and he was awake. His legs were tangled in his bedsheets, shirt sticking to his skin with sweat. He felt absolutely _awful_ , his breath tasted horrible, and-

“Hey man, shouldn’t you be up by now? You start work this morning, right?” Wallus leaned down into the doorway, squinting down at his roommate, concerned.

“Ohh GOD, what time is it, Wallus?” He wriggled out of the bed, kicking the sheets off his leg and scrubbing at his eyes.

“Uhh, like, 9:30 or so? I haven’t really checked, but…”

“OHHH GOD!” He was late, he was fucking _late_ and he had to be there _now,_ he had to be out of the door thirty minutes ago at _least!_

Kamal was a college student. A very stressed, very overworked college student, hoping to get into dental school. He’d met Wallus in his first year, and they’d become fast friends. Kamal had moved in with Wallus and his other roommates a few months later. It was summer now, and he’d planned on taking a few internships around town at a few local dentistry places to get acquainted with the community, maybe get himself a few references for future dental work. Today was _supposed_ to be his first day at his new internship, but he must’ve slept in. God, he was so fucked!

Questionette peeked into the doorway, her hands signing. “ _What’s wrong with him?_ ”

“He’s hyperventilating, I think. Does Tiff know CPR?”

“ _That was Ronbo. It’s part of the clown-criteria I think. Tiff’s already gone back to her apartment, anyway._ ”

“What? That makes no sense- the clown part, I mean. I don’t—“

Kamal pushed them both out of the doorway, waving his hands around. “OUT, OUT, GET OUT! I NEED TO GET READY!”

* * *

Turns out Wallus had been half an hour off, giving Kamal just enough time to get on some business casual clothes, and _just_ enough time to contemplate how woefully unprepared he was for his first day on the job (internship, actually, but whatever). His fingers gripped the rubber of the steering wheel tightly, tapping nervously as he navigated his way through the morning traffic.

 _God,_ he hadn’t had a stress dream like that in months. Of _course_ it had to happen right before his first day. Of _fucking course_ it had to be about _teeth_ of all things, right before he-

A large, sparkling, cartoonish tooth the size of a billboard notified him that he had arrived at the right place. The tooth was the only thing remotely fun about the entire dental establishment he was interning at. Kamal was pretty sure it was just clipart the owner of the place got off the internet. He parked his car, took a few moments to collect himself and swallow a possibly unhealthy amount of breath mints, and then he went in.

The bell above the door chimed softly as he entered. “HEY! I’m so soo sorry if I’m late, traffic was bonkers this morning, and…uh…”

Dr. Habit, the dentist he had taken his internship under, wasn’t there. At least, he wasn’t in the _room_. Instead, sitting behind the glass in the waiting room, there was someone else; a young man, around the same age as Kamal. He had his back facing the door when Kamal entered, fiddling with something Kamal couldn’t see. He practically jumped out of his seat when Kamal entered, immediately shoving something under the desk and turning to face him.

What struck Kamal immediately was how _similar_ the man looked to Dr. Habit. They had the same face, same complexion, same nose, but where Dr. Habit had been all hard edges and stern words, this man looked… softer, somehow. His eyes were gentle and a bit droopy, freckles and some acne scars scattered his face. He had the longest hair Kamal had ever seen, pulled back tightly into a ponytail by a rainbow scrunchy. He wore a soft looking cardigan over a pair of scrubs.

And, unlike Dr. Habit, who hadn’t smiled throughout the entire time Kamal had spoken to him (albeit a brief time, all things considered), as soon as the man seemed to take in who Kamal was, his face immediately broke out into the biggest, dopiest smile Kamal had ever received from a total stranger. He was basically _beaming._

“Hell-o!! Good day, good day! You must be our new intern, yes?” Even his _voice_ was silly. Deeper than he had expected, with an accent. He was pretty sure it was Russian..? Just like the docs, only a little less thick. There was no doubt now that he was related to Dr. Habit in some way.

Kamal fidgeted with the edges of his shirt sleeves, feeling very small under the taller man’s unblinking stare. “Uh… yeah! Yeah, I am. I’m Kamal, nice to meet you..?” He held out his hand, feeling a little silly considering the man was behind a glass wall.

Before he could take his hand away, the man reached out through a little sliding window in the glass and shook it excitedly, still smiling widely. “Kamal! Hello! My name is Boris, it’s a pleasure to meet _you_!”

Compared to Kamal’s own hands this guy’s hands were fucking _long_! And kind of clammy.

Kamal was out of his element. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, the disruption in his morning routine. Hell, maybe it was because of the silly(cute?!) guy shaking his hand. Either way, Kamal was out of it. Before his brain could catch up with his mouth he blurted out the first thought that came to mind.

“Wow, your hands are freakin’ HUGE!” _Oh, god no. Why did he say that? God, this guy would think he was a weirdo, he’d have to quit the job to avoid the embarrassment! He’d be a disgrace in the dental community, he could never show his face again, he…_

Boris blinked, and then he laughed, squeezing the smaller man’s hand. “Oh, yes, I suppose they are! I’ve never really thought about it, haha..” He almost looked a little flustered. “Yours are very.. small!!”

...Ah. Well that was a better reaction than he’d been expecting, but now things were way to awkward. He had to change the subject. “Is uh, is Dr. Habit here yet? I think I might be a bit late… I don’t wanna be in trouble or anything, ha.”

Boris’ smile faded a bit at the mention of Dr. Habit, and he let go of Kamal’s hand as he spoke. “Oh..! Yes, pops went out on a little errand, I don’t think he’ll be back soon. Which means… oh! You can do me a favor while he’s gone!” _Ah, pops, so they were related. Wait-_

“A favor..?” Geez, he’d just gotten here and he was already being turned into an errand boy. Ah well, he hadn’t really expected much else.

He’d zoned out a little. The man had moved from behind the little desk area and into the main room. He fucking _towered_ over Kamal, even when he hunched down a little to meet his eyes. Kamal had never been the tallest guy in the block, but now he felt fucking miniscule. In Boris’ hands was a small flower pot with an even smaller flower blooming gently in the center. He’d never been the best with flora, but it was pretty.

He held out the pot to Kamal and smiled again. Up close Kamal could see that he was missing one of his front teeth. Huh.

“Across the street there’s a little flower shop! I’d like you to give this to the cashier there, please and thank you! Oh, and um…” He leaned in closer to Kamal, almost to close. His thoughts started to fuzz out. He really hoped his breath smelled okay. “I’d appreciate,” (He stretched out the syllables there carefully, as if he couldn’t quite wrap his tongue around the word) “if you could keep this between the two of us, please?”

He was… confused, to say the least, but he nodded, taking the pot in his hands and holding it carefully. “Uh, yeah! Sure. I can do that.”

“Wonderful! Thank you, friend! Once you’re back I can give you a ‘tour’—” he paused to wink. _What? What was he insinuating here?!_ “—to help you get acquainted with the office! And we can talk more, if you want! Yes!”

Before he could fully process everything Boris was leading him out the door, the bell ringing halfheartedly as he exited, and he was in the parking lot, holding a flower pot, squinting in the sun to try and see where exactly he was supposed to _go_.

It was only 9:45. Kamal had the feeling it was going to be a _very_ long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> boris isnt flirting hez just sillay like that ok. tbey are gay doh. i doubt im gnna write anything more substantial 4 dis but i liek the au idea so im posting it... imagine them been awkward sweaty dental assistants 2gether... imagine kamal rooming w wallus and other ppl.... flower kid is the cashier at the florists shop ..... BORIS GETS FRIENDS IN HIS YOUTH!! IMAGINE *foams at the mouth*


	2. Friends In Low Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamal does Boris a favor.

The flower shop was… cramped, to put it nicely. Rows full of potted plants and bouquets filled the center and lined the walls, and where there weren’t plants there were little knick knacks filling up every nook and cranny of the store. A fan whirred noisily in the corner, stacked precariously on a pile of gardening books. The walls were lined with posters depicting various types of flowers and their meanings. Something was playing over a little radio stationed on a counter near the front of the store, but the whirr of the fan drowned most of the melody away.

A teenager sat behind the counter, humming along to the radio as it played. They looked to be a few years younger than Kamal. They waved at him as he entered.

“Can I help you?” The voice came from right behind him. He jumped, nearly dropping the potted plant. “AH!!”

The man behind him stared at him, unfazed. He held a watering can in one hand and a broom in the other, and he looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world then here, talking to Kamal. The name tag on his apron had the name ‘Trencil’ written in nearly incomprehensible cursive.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to… frighten you. My coworker is mute,” He gestured at the cashier with his broom. “And communicates through sign language. I’m here to translate for them if needed.”

Kamal’s face was burning from embarrassment, but he managed to compose himself long enough to croak out, “Oh, I uh… I know ASL, my roommate.. signs… so.”

Trencil raised his eyebrows slightly, “Is that so? How convenient. I’ll be taking my leave, then.” And he was gone, quickly exiting through the backdoor behind the counter.

...Alright?

He’d already had far too many awkward encounters this morning then he’d planned, and all he really wanted to do with himself right now was go straight home and scream into his pillow, but… Well, Boris had asked him for a favor, so.

The cashier tilted their head as he set the plant down on the counter. Up close he could see that their name tag simply said ‘FK.’ “My… coworker across the street asked me to bring this to you? So uh… here ya go!”

Their face brightened, and they glanced outside the window excitedly before turning back to him and finger-spelling, “Boris?”

“Yeah! It’s my first day working with him and he asked me if I could bring it over.”

They smiled brightly. “I love it! Tell him I said thank you.”

“Yeah, of course! I’ll uh, get going then, I guess!” He turned around to leave, but a hand shot out to grab the corner of his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks. They started signing again as he turned back to face them.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh! I’m Kamal.” God, he just wanted to go already. It wasn’t like he’d ever set foot in this place again.

“Kamal…” FK hesitated for a moment, “Please be nice to Boris. He’s kind of just a big softie.” They smiled at him, and his stomach did a weird flip-flop into his chest. All he could manage was a weak nod in return, which they seemed happy with.

The bell above the door jingled cheerfully as he left the building as quickly as his stupid little legs could take him.

* * *

Boris never elaborated on why exactly he’d asked Kamal to go over there instead of himself, and Kamal never asked. He smiled brightly as Kamal relayed the cashier’s thanks, and something about his expression made Kamal go a bit weak in the knees. He’d really never seen anyone so… cheery before. It was a little intimidating.

He’d wanted to say something then, but.

The door chimed, and there was Dr. Habit, holding a cup of coffee to go and surveying the scene in the lobby of his establishment.

Something odd happened to Boris then. His smile faded into something more… reserved. He straightened his back and looked anywhere in the office other than his father’s eyes. He looked profoundly uncomfortable.

Kamal was whisked away by Dr. Habit, shown around the facility and introduced to the rest of the staff, but none of it held his attention as much as the now somber man left in the lobby.

He didn’t see Boris smile for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIED LOL i wrote more thingz... gnna post another smaller chapter immediatelly aftr this one cos im fucking crazy and ill GET u . ok love u bye


	3. Afternoons & Coffeespoons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boris makes a new friend.

June 7, 1993 

I think I’ve made a new “friend.” I was worry-ed when dad told me he was going to be working with us. Hes a college student like me, so I thought he would be like all the other frown-ies there. But! he isn’t! Kamal is very nice 2 me and he always smiles back at me, and he’s been here 4 a weak now. He always seems very busy and stressed out, but he smiles through it all! He is very “hip” and says a lot of slang i’ve never even heard of befour! So I like Kamal :-)

The summer hasn’t been as sad as I thought it wuld be. FK is taking good care of my flowers so pops doesn’t see them and get angry, and they go with me to the coffee shops and parks when they aren’t at work. I think they know I don’t like being back at home with dad, especially while mom is visiting family in Москва. They’re very smart!

Secret: Kamal is very “good-looking” and he smells like mints and other nice things. I would tell him but I dont want to be weird!!

Luv,

Boris Habit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *grabs ur shoulders* im not v gud at writing i just do it when leetol ideas pop in2 my ape brain so most chapters r gnna b short i think anyways i love u also can u tell im naming each chapter after a song released in 1993 cos i am .


	4. Found Out About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamal Bora learns a thing or two about Boris Habit.

Two weeks into the internship Kamal had already learned a lot. But the things he’d been learning had been… unexpected, to say the least.

Of course, he’d already had a lot of hands on experience with assisting Dr. Habit and the other nurses around the facility. For a small mom and pop dental shop they still got quite a lot of business, and Kamal got to assist in handling patients first hand! Habit made sure to explain his process to him in almost excruciating detail; it was _boring_ , but undeniably informative. He was definitely soaking up lots of dental information just by being there and watching them all work. Totally 100% focused, learning so many cool dental things, not at ALL distracted by anything or anyONE in the office who smelled like toothpaste and always wore these little neon colored elastic bracelets and offered to share if Kamal wanted and… Uh… 

No matter how much attention he was or was not paying, it would look great on his resume and future applications no matter what! Which was great. Not that he was worried about that. Duh. 

So, yeah, he was learning a bunch of cool dental stuff, and it was great and he was doing a great job. BUT, more importantly, he was learning a lot more about his new (friend?!) coworker.

Here’s what Kamal knew about Boris Habit so far:

He knew an almost unnecessary amount of information about dental hygiene, but he rarely worked anywhere other than in the lobby, checking in patients and generally acting similar to a secretary.

He wasn’t fond of his father (this wasn’t stated outright so much as it was painfully evident anytime the two happened to be in the same room together). 

His family immigrated to the United States from Moscow when he was five. He didn’t remember anything about it, but he _did_ know how to speak Russian (“ _I ‘speak’ it better than I ‘write’ it! :-)”_ ). 

His favorite color was orange, specifically the kind of orange you’d see on a peach or in a sunset. 

He loved flowers (again, he never said anything about it, but Kamal often caught him staring longingly out the window at the displays in the florist’s shop). 

And he was very good at art. (Kamal learned the last fact when he managed to catch Boris by surprise while he was doodling on a spare receipt for potting soil.)

Kamal seemed to learn more about him every single day, and there was something about him that made each piece of unimportant trivia seem… special, somehow. To him. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know what he was like outside of work. He wanted…

He honestly didn’t really know what he wanted, but it had to do with Boris and it was too embarrassing to think too long about. He found himself talking about Boris to his friends an… almost unnecessary amount of times. He just couldn’t help it! He was just… nice. Like a big silly teddy bear. Or a puppy. 

But he just couldn’t say any of that out loud. 

* * *

It had been a busy day at the office, and for once Boris had been called away from lobby duty, leaving Kamal to man the counter and check everyone in. The patient he’d been asked to tend to had a horrible fear of dentists, she’d looked about ready to kill someone as soon as she’d been dragged into the lobby. Evidently her agitation only grew worse as she was led back into the operating rooms. Kamal could’ve sworn he could hear her screaming bloody murder all the way into the lobby. 

After the girl left, Boris emerged back into the waiting room, looking exhausted. The familiar smell of bubblegum toothpaste that stuck to him so strongly wafted back into the room. Kamal realized now that he’d missed it. 

For once, Boris wasn’t smiling. He tugged at the scrunchie holding his hair back and combed through the mess with his fingers. Kamal had never seen him with his hair down before. Despite the exhaustion, he looked… nice. 

Normally Boris was the one to initiate conversations here, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood. Kamal cleared his throat. “You doin’ okay, man?” 

The dentist in training hummed as he gathered his hair back with his hands and began re-tying it with his scrunchie. “Hmm, yes, fine. Just tired, I think. I like being out ‘here’ more than I like being in ‘there.’” He gestured vaguely towards the door leading back into the operating rooms. 

Kamal wiggled in his chair anxiously. It threw him off, seeing Boris so somber. “Yeah, I get that, heh… Dentistry isn’t that fun when all your patients do is scream at you, I bet.”

Boris shook his head, sitting down at one of the couches with a sigh. Without thinking, Kamal stood up from his position behind the desk and went out to join him. They sat there together in silence for a few moments. Boris stared out the windows at the florist’s shop across the street, lost in thought. 

“...All I want to do is help fix people with broke-en smiles, like mine.” Boris fidgeted in his seat as he spoke. Kamal tilted his head, confused.

“What do you mean broken? Your smile isn’t broken.”

Boris opened his mouth, pointing at his missing teeth, as if that would explain everything. Kamal frowned. “Having funky teeth doesn’t mean your smile is ‘broken’, Boris. I mean, by that logic I’d have the most broken smile in this joint.”

Now it was Boris’ turn to look confused. He scrunched up his face into something resembling a pout. “Ah, but… I like ‘your’ smile… It’s perf-ect.” It was almost charming to see Boris, usually so intent on maintaining a steady (and almost disconcerting) amount of eye-contact, struggling to look anywhere other than Kamal’s eyes. His hands picked at the sleeves of his sweater, pulling at the loose threads.

Kamal blinked. “Boris. You’ve _seen_ what my teeth look like, right?”

“Wh— huh?” His eyes flickered back to him, wide and questioning. He looked thoroughly confused.

“They’re like, _beyond_ yellow at this point. Practically SEPIA. They’re far from perfect.”

Boris tugged at a stray strand of hair loose from his ponytail. “W-well, the dentine underneath your enamel is naturally yellow, so even with good hygiene having yellow teeth is per-fectly normal… healthy, even. What you really need to worr-ey about is plaque build-up and—“ 

“Boris.”

The dentist in training stopped in his tracks, his mouth closing with an audible click. Kamal shook his head and reached out to grab the taller man’s hand impulsively. Boris didn’t move away. “I think you have a great smile. A few missing teeth doesn’t change anything about it to me. I get that you wanna help people feel happy with their own teeth, but you shouldn’t have to put down your own in the process. They’re perfectly fine.”

“But..!” He seemed to be running out of steam. His face was gradually turning into a pleasant shade of pink. He squeezed Kamal’s hand softly. “It.. they… they look weird..!”

“Yeah? So do _my_ teeth, pal. That doesn’t ruin my smile for YOU though, does it?” Kamal punctuated the end of the sentence with as bright of a smile as he could manage. He felt silly, this entire conversation was silly but… well. 

Boris looked dazed, and a little flustered. He simply shook his head. 

“Well, there you have it. If my smile looks good, so does yours. No ifs-ands-or-buts about it!” 

The taller man simply hummed. All the fight in him had drained away. “I… if you say so, I guess.” 

Kamal’s palm felt sweaty. He still hadn’t let go of Boris’ hand. 

He didn’t really want to.

They both were quiet now. It was an awkward silence, heavy and oppressive, and neither of them seemed to know how to break it now. So they just sat there. Holding hands. Holding hands. Holding hands. 

They stayed that way for a very long time. 

* * *

After a long and grueling day of sitting at a chair all day and sorting through his coworker’s (or friend’s?? maybe?) emotional baggage, Kamal wearily trudged up the stairwell to his apartment, fantasizing about how nice it would be to curl up in his bed, alone, and sleep the rest of the night away. Questionette had been staying over at Borbra’s place for the past few days, and usually Wallus was already asleep by the time he got home. The house would be completely quiet, completely perfect. He opened the door and breathed in the familiar scent of coffee and incense and other familiar smells of home, and...

He let out a muffled whimper as he found himself immediately lifted into the air by a very big, _very_ strong bear hug. His captor cooed and swung him around like he weighed nothing. 

“KAMAL! I haven’t seen ya in YEARS!” 

“It’s been _three weeks_ Borbra..!” He tried to wiggle weakly out of her grip with no luck. Her voice boomed in his ears, making his head spin. 

“Awww, that didn’t count! You just moped around in the corner all night! I never even got to TALK to you!!” 

Questionette clapped to get her girlfriends attention. “ _I think you’re smothering him, darling.”_ Kamal wheezed in agreement. 

“Aw jeez, am I?” She placed him back on the floor with a thud. Kamal leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. Borbra placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Sorry ‘bout it, pal! I just MISSED ya! You need to get out more!”

“Gee, thanks Borb.” 

Questionette tugged at Borbra’s sleeve, giving Kamal enough time to slip into the living room while she was distracted. There on the couch sat Wallus, his legs stretched over the lap of Ronbo the clown, thankfully out of his clown gear and in regular attire. He gave Kamal a nod as he passed. Wallus waved. 

The kitchen was similarly occupied by Parsley, who was currently leaning against the kitchen counter, watching a pot of coffee brew. He gave Kamal a small smile as he entered. “What’s up, pal?” 

“Hey, Parsley. No offense, but uh… why are you all in my house?” 

The business man snorted. “Me? I came here to get a break from all the racket back at home. I don’t know about those other chucklefucks.” His hands tapped rapidly against the counter as he spoke. 

“Man, you seem pretty high strung. Are you sure coffee is the uh… best thing to be drinking right now?”

“It’s the only thing keepin’ me sane Kamal.” He fixed his friend with a long, hard stare. The coffee machine beeped and fizzled as the last drops of caffeine dripped out into the pot. Parsley pulled out a mug from the cabinets and poured himself a cup. 

“But hey, enough about me. How was work? You talk more to that Boris guy like you wanted to?”

Kamal’s stomach did a weird flip flop at the mention of his coworker. “It’s… more like he talked _at_ me and I listened but uh.. yeah?”

“Gotten his number yet?” Parsley grinned.

“ _What?_ Why— what do you, why would I want—No?” Kamal’s hands were getting sweaty. He was already very much not enjoying this conversation and honestly? He would rather be in his room taking a nap. “I don’t want his number, Parsley.”

“What! Why not? You like him, right?” Parsley ripped open a packet of sugar and poured it into his coffee as he spoke. His hands shook, and most of it ended up spilling on the table. It was his third cup of the evening, not that Kamal was aware of that.

“What? No. I like, barely know him. We aren’t even friends. I mean, like, I don’t think we are. I’ve only known him for a month, it really isn’t that—“

“ _JESUS_ Kamal! Two days ago you spent half an hour gushing about the guy and you’re tryin’ to tell me you’re not _friends_ with him? If I didn’t know any better I’d have figured he was already your boyfriend by now!” 

He was blushing now. His mind kept flashing back to the feeling of holding Boris’ hand. Of not wanting to let go. “You’re being stupid. This is stupid. He’s basically a stranger.” 

“Hey, I’ve gotten into relationships after a few hours of knowin’ a guy!”

“Didn’t your last relationship end in a divorce?”

“Well… y’know…” Parsley took a long sip of coffee, staring out the kitchen window. “You’re less impulsive than I am, Kamal. I’m not sayin’ you should _marry_ the guy! I just think it would be nice for you to actually… y’know. Pursue something!” 

He paused, glancing down on the watch on his wrist. His hands shook so hard, it was a miracle he was even able to read it. “Damn, I should get back home. Mama will throw a fit if I’m not there for dinner.” He finished off his cup of coffee and placed the cup in the sink. 

“You know you could always stay with us if your family gets too much.” 

Parsley shook his head, pulling on his jacket. “You all help enough lettin’ me pop here every now and then. Besides, I think dad would have a heart attack if I moved out again so soon.” He started to make his way out of the kitchen, pausing at the doorframe. “Oh, hey, you’re comin’ out with us tomorrow, right?”

“What’s happening tomorrow..?” 

“Man, Tiff and Lulia are performing a duet together at Joe’s Boloney Hut! Pretty much everyone in town is gonna be there. You should come! Hey, you could invite that Boris guy out there too!” He grinned. Kamal just looked away, embarrassed. “Just think about it, yeah?” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. See ya, Pars.” 

* * *

Kamal leaned on the counter in the lobby. His palms were sweaty. His knees shook a little. Boris just smiled, looking happy as usual, as if the previous day had never happened. Kamal coughed.

“So, uh, are you doing anything tonight..?” 

“No! Why do you ask, friend?” Boris just smiled. Smiling, smiling, smiling. It just made the butterflies in Kamal’s stomach flutter around more frantically. God, maybe Parsley had a point. 

“Would you… ah, uh. Would you wanna come out to Joe’s Baloney Hut with me tonight? My friends are performing there and I think it’ll be really fun… I could drive you, uh..” This was so silly. Boris would say no, and then everything would be awkward, and Kamal would probably _die_ from embarrassment, and then Parsley would have something to say at Joe’s Baloney Hut, and—

“Ohh! Yes, yes, I’d love to!” Boris clapped his hands together excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. “This will be so fun! Thank you!!”

Ah, well. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiiiiiiiiiiiii hi hi hi!!!! hello!!! reading all of the comments u all hav left 4 me on this fic hav made me so incredibly happy and i just wnted 2 say i love all of u !!! yes! im glad u like my silly littl fic and i will try 2 do my best n make u proud! heres sum fun news: im workin on sum illustrations 2 go along w the writing. my next update Shld hav sum fun little pics to go along w all the fun littl words, and previous chapters will b illustrated as well!! ok, thts it, ill see u next time !!!


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